Tag: Harka Architecture

Business Relocating, Construction, History

Low-Carbon Architecture Firm Opens Glisan Office

After a multi-year renovation of the Art Deco office at 7631 NE Glisan Street, Harka Architecture has fully relocated to its new home. Renovation work on this compact building rescued a Montavilla architectural icon and created a functional showpiece for low-carbon construction. Harka’s founder, Patrick Donaldson, purchased this property for his architectural firm in 2019 after his sublease ended. The onset of the pandemic disrupted the plans for a quick remodel and removed the pressure to move offices as commercial space became abundant. Over the last two years, the project’s scope shifted to a methodical renovation incorporating various environmentally healthy building techniques representing the core of what Harka offers its clients.

Donaldson, who lives in the area and sometimes commutes past this building, did not envision buying this property. Even as he searched for new office space, the for sale sign in the window almost went ignored. However, something about this distinct structure captured his attention. “I kept driving, and then maybe four blocks later, I turned around and came back and wrote down the number,” Explained Donaldson. Even then, he was unsure but decided to investigate the space further. “Looking around, it turns out the shipping container that’s back here, the guy who owned it was in there, and I’m pretty sure that had I not walked up at that moment and him being there, I don’t think I would have gotten it.” The seller admitted to ignoring calls to buy the property unless the person tried at least three or four times. “That’s a strange way to way to go about things, but he was in there, and so I actually made a kind of a physical connection with him. So we ended up negotiating, and I purchased it.” Said Donaldson.

Harka Architecture‘s conference room featuring a moss wall inspired by Portland topography

Once crews began the renovation project, Donaldson and his team realized they would need to take it down to the studs and reshape the building. “I never really intended to do what we did, and then once I started kind of working on it… you start to pull the string, and you know how it goes,” remarked Donaldson. He always intended to incorporate sustainability and low-carbon designs that reduce toxicity. However, each project bumped into the constraints of the 1940 construction, and they had to make significant changes. “We made the building taller because it had a two-by-four roof [and] didn’t have a parapet, so it wouldn’t waterproof well. With a two-by-four ceiling, we’d be forced to use foam insulation, which has high embodied carbon and is filled with fire retardants.” To avoid that, they built a roof with two-by-six lumber and 14-inch engineered trusses that accommodated 13 inches of cellulose insulation. The process also changed the building’s outward appearance. “It gave it more of an overhang in the back, and then again, it’s 18 inches taller, so it has a little bit more of a profile than it had before,” said Donaldson.

With the first substantial upgrade underway, it became apparent that the building needed additional work, and keeping to the budget was already a lost cause. “We should upgrade here, we should upgrade there, and then it was like we should just make an example of this, right?” remembered Donaldson. From that point on, he and his team set out to incorporate all types of low-carbon and recycled materials into the project with the goal of making a usable showcase featuring what Harka offers its clients. “We tried to use edgier products to test them out, and so right when you walked in at the entry, there’s a little window in the ceiling that shows off the hemp [wool insulation],” explained Donaldson as he pointed to details through the space. In many places, they repurposed lumber, even salvaging lath from the walls for the paneling in the bathroom.

By tearing into the building, Donaldson’s team discovered pieces of the building’s history. It began as a dentist’s office for Herbert E. Craner, who practiced in this building for seventeen years. When he died in 1957, his son Eugene took over the business. The floors bore the marks of the heavy dental equipment once bolted down. However, the bolt holes suggested that the detail chairs were placed in the front windows, confounding the crew until they received a guest. “Some woman out [front] was taking pictures. She ended up being the daughter-in-law of Craner, who are the original [owners], and her husband grew up in here in that little side room.” Craner’s daughter-in-law described the office as configured similar to a barber’s shop, with people receiving treatment in front of the passing public looking in the front windows. “You had the chair right in the window, and people watched you get your teeth worked on. That was a thing to show off the skills of the dentist,” remarked Donaldson with surprise.

Plumbing permit found in the wall during renovations

Later in the building’s life, it housed a pizza restaurant that contributed layers of grease and hid patched-over window openings. “I believe the original building was all plywood, and then at some point, they plastered the bottom three quarters with stucco. Actually, there’s two layers of stucco on it because I think when they turned it into a pizza shop, they covered up a bunch of windows. Then they ended up just putting another layer of stucco over everything,” described Donaldson. The top portion of the building features new stucco separated by three aluminum bands wrapping around the top of the building. The old wall cladding remains in place, but that poses a problem. Creating an efficient low-carbon building involves sealing air leakage and insulating the structure to reduce energy usage. However, in this building, the outside walls were already in place. So the vapor sealing and insulation needed to occur on the interior side of the walls. First, they used an AeroBarrier treatment to plug holes in the existing walls. “They come in, and they pressurize the interior of the space, and they start spraying a non-toxic rubber cement. It goes and finds all the holes and fills them up,” explained Donaldson. “Then we put dense pack cellulose in there. That’s all fluffy, so you put netting on the wall, and then you put a hose in there, and you pack it in there tight.” They then finished the insulation work with GUTEX, a carbon-negative wood fiberboard. Once again, the product behind the wall is on display through a glass window. This time the glass doubles as a whiteboard in the conference room.

Back wall showing GUTEX wood fiberboard behind the siding

According to Donaldson, contractors often use the wood fiberboard on the exterior of a building. “It’s designed to be actually on the outside of a building. It would go on the outside over the plywood before you put your siding on. We put it on the inside here because we had the stucco. So it’s everywhere on all these walls except this back wall which didn’t have stucco on it. The back wall also functions as a demonstration of the siding product. Instead of having overlapping cladding, the exterior boards have constant gaps. This installation shows off the GUTEX product and proves that it is protecting the structure and that the siding is just a rain screen.

Not all products chosen for the project proved effective. The magnesium oxide panels used in place of traditional drywall did not hold up well, and cracks at the seams are showing in some areas. Donaldson will not recommend the product to clients. Instead, lightweight sheetrock is a better choice, with half the carbon impact as traditional gypsum board. Suggesting products and educating clients on low-carbon/low-toxin living makes Harka Architecture a unique firm. Donaldson foresaw a need for environmentally conscious buildings and believed that carbon impact would be the best measure for that work. As the discipline became more formal, tools have developed to help architects select products and features in buildings that make a substantial impact when reducing carbon. 

Patrick Donaldson by one of his gates made from repurposed material

Donaldson’s team uses data and product knowledge to refocus people’s good intentions toward activities that substantially make a difference in the environment. Every product used in construction has the potential to generate substantial amounts of embodied carbon, the amount of carbon-producing energy consumed during manufacturing. Some foam sealing products use so much electricity in production that they will never prevent the same energy leakage in a home they consumed during creation. Donaldson explained how understanding the entire life cycle of a product can substantially alter the carbon reduction equations people make. “Everyone is worried about plastics and recycling. Forget about that your steak is wrapped in plastic. It’s the steak that’s the problem, not the plastic.”

Harka Architecture works on various residential and commercial projects as well as consulting on low-carbon approaches to living and building. They assist with upgrades to existing structures and new construction. Interested developers or homeowners should contact Harka Architecture for more information.

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Construction, New Residence

Three Residences on Washington St

Over the last month, framing crews erected the primary structure for the three-residence project at 8635 SE Washington Street. Work is occurring simultaneously on both structures, allowing observers to take-in the scale of this development. The staggered height of the buildings respects the south facing exposure to natural light for each home. If successful, this could become a model of housing density where one structure does not overshadow the others on the shared property.

Construction on both structures progressing simultaneously

Original article posted June 18th, 2021.

After nearly a year, city staff have approved the three-residence project at 8635 SE Washington Street. The project includes two structures built on a currently vacant lot. The homes will sell as condominiums linked by a small Home Owners Association.

The front house is detached from the other residences and offers three bedrooms split between two levels. The home’s design maximizes living space on the ground floor and only has a partial second story. The master suite sits under the footprint of the top floor. A doorway accessed off the living room closes off the sleeping area from the rest of the house. The ground floor bedroom area features many separated spaces created by sliding doors. The ensuite is configured as a half-bath and serves as the first-floor guest power room. When sliding doors are closed, they make a short hallway that also contains the laundry closet. A shower room with an extra sink is adjacent to the bathroom and provides passthrough access to a large walk-in closet. The main bedroom is opposite the shower room and faces the back of the property.

Patrick Donaldson, Principal Architect for Harka Architecture, described the front building as an ideal aging-in-place design. Although the second story features two bedrooms and a full bathroom, all living activities can occur in the ground floor portion of the home. In addition, the front and back of the structure have large floor-level decks that extend the living space outside while not requiring stairs to transition between the two environments.

2nd story carriage house and back residence

The back building contains two more homes, a shared storage room, and onsite parking. Three single-car garages offer parking for each residence. The majority of the first floor serves as storage and parking. The alleyway behind the property provides access to the garages. 

Above the garage is a single-level two-bedroom home with one full bathroom. In addition to an open floorplan living area, it features ample storage and a stacked laundry closet. Access to this unit is via an exterior staircase that leads to a front deck on the second level. 

Front and Back structures as seen from SE Washington Street

Attached to the west side of the rear structure is a three-story residence with access to the first floor through the front door or a side door that leads to one of the single-car garages. The first floor contains a bonus room in the front. The back portion of the main floor has a half-bath, utility room, and coat closet. The kitchen, living room, and another half-bath occupy the second floor. Finally, the third floor contains two bedrooms and a full bathroom next to a stackable washer and dryer closet.

Each of these homes features unique layouts that will appeal to different-sized families in different stages of life. The site layout will foster a micro-community through shared spaces while maintaining individuality through the distinct design of each residence. Look for crews to break ground soon and construction to complete within ten months.

Heavy equipment is onsite ahead of foundation work

Architectural perspective drawings courtesy Harka Architecture

Construction, New Business

Harka Building Taking Form

Renovation work recently increased at Harka Architecture‘s new headquarters, located at 7631 NE Glisan Street. Crews are converting the 1940 Art Deco structure into a modern office with a classic style. Alterations to the building are significant. However, the building owner has taken care to keep the original architectural style intact.

As an environmentally focused architecture design firm, Harka is selective in how they are completing this project. “We are doing a very deep high-performance retrofit of the space while using non-toxic, healthy materials,” said Patrick Donaldson, Principal Architect with Harka Architecture. This development employs a low carbon construction ethic that favors reuse and building efficiency. Taking that approach has kept the renovation on a slower schedule. However, paperwork delays occurred before work could begin, pushing buildout dates further back. Donaldson had to clear decades of un-permitted work by previous owners before receiving approval on the new alterations.

Those project delays seem to be in the past, and the building already shows signs of improvement. While replacing the roof, the exterior wall height increased by several feet. New high-efficiency windows have replaced the original single-pane glass, and the second street-facing door became a new window.

The small building is full of 1940’s character, and work to date has only enacted those features. Months of construction are still needed to restore this building. However, the final form is now evident, reassuring this building’s admirers that it is in good hands with the new owners.

Pre-construction

Renderings provided by Harka Architecture

Construction, History, New Business

Art Deco Restoration

Construction is underway at the small Art Deco building located at 7631 NE Glisan Street. Restoration plans for this building started back at the beginning of 2020, but past permit issues caused work delays.

Constructed in 1940 as a dentist’s office, it’s the loan example of Art Deco architecture in the area. “The original owner was Herbert E. Craner, a Portland dentist, who practiced in this building for many years. When he died in 1957, his son Eugene took over the business.” Recounted Patricia Sanders, a local Montavilla historian.

Patrick Donaldson, the building’s owner, discover its dental history and found records of what Eugene Craner later did with the property. “His son, [Eugene], is the one that filled out the building application in 1983 to turn it into Montavilla Quality Pizza – a take-out pizza joint,” said Donaldson.

It turned out that the 1983 permit was the most recent one filed with the city before Donaldson started work. “That, in fact, was the last permit legally pulled on the space, despite the number of businesses that have occupied the building. I am still wrangling with the city to get a permit approved based on this old use.” Explained Donaldson, speaking a few months back.

Donaldson bought the building to become the new home of his architecture firm Harka Architecture. To accommodate his business, much of the interior and the entire roof will need rebuilding. The exterior walls are now extended up by a few feet, allowing space to install wood I-beams that will support a new roof.

A recent permit for the project will add an accessible ramp to the building and change occupancy classification from F1 to B. With the addition of the ramp and the new higher walls, the building’s appearance will vary slightly from its original form. However, much of its character seems to be intact.

This project differs from other similar updates on the street. It’s a restoration of a distinct architectural style performed by an architect for an architectural firm’s office. Acting as both a showpiece of architectural style and a classic building’s rehabilitation, much of its final look will be a statement about the new occupants and their respect for history.

Cover Image by Weston Ruter

Construction, New Business

Glisan Art Deco Icon Becoming an Architecture Office.

Harka Architecture will soon relocate to 7631 NE Glisan Street, moving from the Olympic Mills building. Patrick Donaldson, Principal Architect at Harka Architecture, bought the building on Glisan in June of 2019. Donaldson lives nearby this location and is encouraged that other businesses are starting to pop up along this stretch NE Glisan.

“The building is the perfect size for my office,” wrote Donaldson via email. “I played rugby at Montavilla park for years and rode my bicycle past this little building all the time. It is a great little example of Art Deco architecture with the curved walls and entry.”

Currently the only active building permit is a change of occupancy, however more work is in the future. Donaldson plans to repaint the building in new colors and make energy efficient upgrades. The efficiencies will be achieved through upgrading to high performance windows and replacing the gas furnace with an electric heat pump, along with a heat recovery ventilator.

Harka Architecture specializes in low carbon and high performance architecture. This remodel will showcase some of their techniques. They plan to use carbon neutral insulation such as lambs wool and Gutex. Sealing as many air leaks as possible, will also vastly improve the effectiveness of the insulation in this 80 year old building.

Completed in 1940, this structure has housed many business. Over the last 20 years, local residents have seen over a half dozen businesses at that location. Businesses with many different offerings.

Touchstone Coffee House
Grandpa Jimmy’s Southern Fried Fish
Hollywood Tattoo
Coconut Cafe
Hillbilly’s Herbs and Glass
Baba Ali Somalia Cuisine

It seems fitting that the new life for this Art Deco building would come from an architect. This tiny building manges to contain an abundance of character in just 833 square feet. Although it could be assumed that this building once blended in on NE Glisan, it is equally possible it has always been a standout.

With the new owner seeking a permanent location for his office, it is likely that we will see stability in this location. Montavilla is fortunate to retain this building and to receive and new anchor business on NE Glisan.